Dispensing container



15, 1935' F, w, NITARDY DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 7, l932INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 15, 1935 v UNITED STATES" DISPENSING CONTAINER FerdinandW. Nitardy, to E. R. Squibb & S

Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor ons, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application December 7, 1932, Serial No. 646,118

3 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing containers and has for its objectthe provision of a container er of spherical, cylindrical, polyhedral,or other shape, or intended for therapeutic, alimentary, commercial,industrial, recreational, or other purposes.

Essentially thedispensing container of this invention comprises a bodyhaving a concavity adapted to receive aplurality of rows of tablets andprovided with a constricted extension, and a slidable cover; prefe ably,it comprises a body having two parallel sides and a concavity adapted toreceive a plurality of rows of tablets and pro- 20 vided with aconstricted extension on another side, and a cover slidable along thetwo parallel sides. Suitably tilting the container causes tablets todescend therefrom into the extension, which, being'constricted, receivesfewer tablets than there are rows; and the tablets in the extension maybe gravitationally dispensed by retracting the cover sufficiently toexpose them and then turning the container more or less upright. Bymaking the width of the extension less than twice the tablet width, itis possible to dispense a single tablet with the utmost facility.Preferably, further: the distance between the under side of the coverand the bottom of the concavity and of the extension is less than twicethe tablet thickness, the extension is adapted to receive onlyone""tablet, and the parallel sides and the extension are longitudinalwith respect to the container.

-ll preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing:

' Figure 1 being a top view of the container with the cover unretracted;v

Figure 2, a perspective view of the container with the cover retractedto expose the extension;

Figure 3, a bottom view of the container with the cover retracted toexpose the extension;

Figure 4, a top view of the body of the container, with the coverremoved; and

, Figures 5, 6, and '7, fragmentary diagrammatic top views of modifiedextension ends of the body.

In the container shown, 11 is the body, having of the invention isparallel longitudinal sides 12, and a concavity 13 holding several rowsof tablets 10 and provided. with a constricted longitudinal extension 5514 (adapted to receive only one tablet), to which the raised part 15serves as a guide. Optionally (see Figures 5, 6, and 7), the extensionmay be positioned near themiddle of the side rather than at the corner,and the raised parts may be arranged accordingly or altogethereliminated. Slidably mounted on the body is the cover 16, havingdownwardly and inwardly turned flanges 17, embracing the sides andbottom of the body. The distance between the under side of the cover andthe bottom of the concavity and of the extension is somewhat more than,but less than twice, the tablet thickness. Knobs 13, in the path of theflanges 17, stop the retraction of th cover when the extension 14 hasbeen exposed. A raised part 19 may be used to limit the tablet capacityof the container to some conventional number, such as twelve. For addedconvenience, the body edge at the extension end and-the cover edge atthe opposite end may be curled as at 20, 21. Manifestly, the body mayhave horizontal flanges and the cover may have folded edges slidablealong such flanges, or the body may have horizontal folds and the covermay be a substantially flat element slidable within such folds;extensions may be provided on two opposite sides; and the cover maybesubstantially symmetrical or have the same shape as the body outline.The mode of using the container has alreadybeen indicated.

Containers constructed in accordance with this invention arecharacterized by numerous obvious advantages, among them easy, smooth,and instantaneous operability with the fingers of only one hand todeliver a limited portionof the contents, especially a single tablet.

It is to be understood that the embodiment specifically described aboveis merely exempliflcative and by no means limitative of the invention,which may assume various other formssome of them hereinbefore referredto-within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. A dispensing container comprising a body having a shallow mainchamberadapted to hold a plurality of rows of tablets and an auxiliarychamber connected with said main chamber by a lateral opening, the widthof said opening be ing greater than the largest dimension of one of saidtablets, said auxiliary chamber being shorter and'narrower than saidmain chamber and being adapted to hold only fewer tablets than thenumber of said rows, and a lid slidably engaging said body and movingsubstantially parallel to the bottom thereof, said lid being attached'tosaid body by meansof a plurality of downwardly and inwardly turnedflanges, there being a projection on the exterior of said body betweensaid flanges to stop the retraction of said lid when said auxiliarychamber has been uncovered, both said chambers being substantiallycovered by said lid when it is unretracted, and the contents of saidauxiliary chamber being exposed for dispensing but the contents of saidmain chamber remaining substantially covered when said lid is retractedonly far enough to uncover said auxiliary chamber.

2. A dispensing container comprising a body having a shallow mainchamber adapted to hold at least three rows of tablets and an auxiliarychamber connected with said main chamber by a lateral opening, the widthof said opening being greater than the largest dimension of one of saidtablets, said auxiliary chamber being shorter and narrower than saidmain chamber and being adapted to hold only fewer than three tablets,and a lid slidably engaging said body and moving substantially parallelto the bottom thereof, said lid being attached to said body by means ofa plurality of downwardly and inwardly turned flanges, there being aprojection on the exterior of said body between said flanges to stop theretraction of said lid when said auxiliary chamber has been uncovered,both said chambers being substantially covered by said lid when it isunretracted, and the contents of said auxiliary chamber being exposedfor dispensing but the contents of said main chamber remainingsubstantially covered when said lid is retracted only far enough touncover said auxiliary chamher.

3. A dispensing container comprising a body having a shallow mainchamber adapted to hold at least two rows of tablets and an auxiliarychamber connected with said main chamber by a lateral opening, the widthof said opening being greater than the largest dimension of one of saidtablets, said auxiliary chamber being shorter and narrower than saidmain chamber and being adapted to hold only one tablet, and a lidslidably engaging said body and moving substantially parallel to thebottom thereof, said lid being attached to said body by means of aplurality of downwardly and inwardly turned flanges, there being aprojection on the exterior of said body between said flanges to stop theretraction of said lid when said auxiliary chamber has been uncovered,both said chambers being substantially covered by saidlid when it isunretracted, and the contents of said auxiliary chamber being exposedfor dispensing but the contents of said main chamber remainingsubstantially covered when said lid is retracted only far enough touncover said auxiliary chamber.

FERDINAND W. NITARDY.

